INTERCESSORY PRAYER

INTERCESSORY PRA= YER

Intercessory Prayer - What is it?
Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes t= he place of another or pleads another's case. One study Bible defines interces= sion as "holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with Go= d on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's intervention." =

Intercessory Pra= yer - The Biblical Foundation
The Biblical basis for the New Testament believe= r's ministry of intercessory prayer is our calling as priests unto God. The Wor= d of God declares that we are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:5).

The background for understanding this calling to priestly intercession is f= ound in the Old Testament example of the Levitical priesthood. The priest's responsibility was to stand before and between. He stood before God to minister to Him with sacrifices and offerings. The prie= sts also stood between a righteous God and sinful man bringing them together at= the place of the blood sacrifice.

Hebrews 7:11-19 explains the difference between the Old and New Testament ministries of the priest. The = Old Testament Levitical priesthood was passed on fr= om generation to generation through the descendants of the tribe of Levi. "The Melchizedek priesthood" spoken of in this passage, is the "new order" of spiritual priests of whom the Lord Jesus is the Hi= gh Priest. It is passed on to us through His blood and our spiritual birth as = new creatures in Christ.

Intercessory Prayer - Our Model Intercessor
Jesus Christ is our model for intercessory prayer. Jesus stands before God = and between Him and sinful man, just as the Old Testament priests did: For ther= e is one God, and one mediator (intercessor) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timot= hy 2:5). It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also m= akes intercession for us (Romans 8:34).= Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

Jesus brings sinful man and a righteous God together at the place of the blood sacrifice for sin. No longer is the blood of animals necessary as it = was in the Old Testament. We can now approach God on the basis of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach G= od boldly without timidity (Hebrews 4= :14-16).

Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. He even pra= yed for you and me when He interceded for all those who would believe on Him. J= esus continued His ministry of intercession after His death and resurrection whe= n He returned to Heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in Heaven. =

Intercessory Pra= yer - Effective Intercession
In intercessory prayer, we follow the Old Testament priestly function and th= e New Testament pattern of Jesus - standing before God and between a righteous God and sinful man. In order to be effective standing "between" we must first stand "before" God to develop the intimacy necessary to fulfill this role. Numbers 14 = is one of the greatest accounts of intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible. Moses was able to stand between God and sinful man because he had stood "before" Him and had developed intimacy of communication. Numbers 12:8 rec= ords that God spoke with Moses as friend to friend and not through visions and dreams as He did with other prophets.

As New Testament believers, we no longer sacrifice animals as in Old Testam= ent times. We stand before the Lord to offer up spiritual sacrifices of praise = (Hebrews 13:15) and the sacrifice= of our own lives (Romans 12:1). I= t is on the basis of this intimate relationship with God that we can then stand "between" Him and others, serving as an advocate and intercessor = in their behalf.

Peter uses two words to describe this priestly ministry: "Holy" a= nd "royal." Holiness is required to stand before the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We are able to d= o this only on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, not our own righteousness. Royalty is descriptive of the kingly authority that is delegated to us as members of the "royal family," so to speak, with legitimate acces= s to the throne room of God.